Archive for June, 2006
V Rating: VVVVV One of the embarrassing things about getting a Google map was that it proved how Eastern Suburbs centric my blog is. The really shameful thing is that I’m sure there are more vegetarian and vegetarian friendly restaurants in Sydney’s West.
Hungry and down at heel we wandered disconsolately down King Street, only to discover that the strip’s second vegetarian restaurant was doing a roaring trade (again, Inner West, very vegetarian friendly).
We hurriedly took our seat and scanned the menu. As we waited abut half an hour for our food to come we were struck by the amount of people who’d ordered a dish that came served in half a pineapple. For mains, we ordered the Pad Prik Heang, a soy-sauce stiry-fry with vegetarian chicken, capsicum, onion, carrot, stir-fried with dried chilli and cashew nuts. We choose this dish because I wanted something with vegetables after a weekend of not-so-healthy eating. I found the soy sauce a bit over-powering and so the dish wasn’t as refreshing as I’d hoped.
Green Palace is a Buddhist restaurant, like most vegetarian place in Sydney. However, the fact that it is run by Thai Buddhists, as opposed to the more usual Chinese or Vietnamese Buddhists restaurants, makes Green Palace unique and means that you can find food here that isn’t available elsewhere in Sydney. It was certainly a lovely change to be able to order Thai food without worrying about fish sauce. Also unusually for a Buddhist restaurant, Green Palace is BYO.
V Rating: VV On the June long weekend rain teased Sydney, threatening to bucket down but often just delivering lingering drizzle. After 24 hours indoors I faced a dilemma on Sunday morning. I had coffee, but no food. It was a tough call but I decided it was time to brave the elements.
Blue Orange is one of Bondi’s best brunch spots. At 9am it’s peaceful. By 10am all tables are full. Blue Orange is a tiny place with wood-pannelled walls and warm orange lights with sculptured wire shades. Sitting there, watching the rain fall lightly outside, I felt like I was ensconced in a glamourous log cabin.
I rounded off my breakfast with a delicious soy capuccino. This alone was worth leaving the house for.
V Rating: V-ware Sugaroom is one of Pyrmont’s top restaurants and is located at the harbour end of Harris Street. Although Sugaroom is a fine dining restaurant, it is surrounded by undeveloped lots and occasional water traffic. This creates the slightly surreal situation where you munch on your $30 main while overlooking the last remnants of Sydney’s working harbour. Like Ravesi’s, Sugaroom gets a V-ware rating because despite serving good quality vegetarian food, there is only one vegetarian entrée and main.
It makes a great winter choice. The pie gave off the warm, homely smell of a country bakery. The pastry crust was soft without being too oily. The filling was creamy and delicious. The zucchini flower on the side was stuffed and came on a bed of lettuce with the rich, cherry-sized truss tomatoes. A tartare mayonnaise sauce came with it, and went well with the salad by adding a savoury bite. We also ordered some hearty, home-made wedges and a salad, which were more than we could manage. Overall, the meal was a metaphor for Pyrmont’s metamorphosis from a working class industrial area to an expensive yuppie hub. While my mushroom pie and chips had become expensive pithivier and wedges, in the end it was still a delicious, filling, and unpretentious meal.
V Rating: VVVVV Last Thursday was my birthday. The big 29. I didn’t want to plan something special, but also didn’t want to let the final year of my twenties slip through my fingers unmarked. Casting around for something to do I thought I’d check the movie schedule at vegetarian restaurant / cinema, Govinda’s. I knew immediately that I was fated to go there because they were playing Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biography that I was disappointed to miss at the movies. I love the fact that Govinda’s combines an intimate cinema with a hare krishna vegetarian restaurant. There’s no need for the two to go together, yet it’s so handy that they do.
The buffet options are reassuringly familiar. There’s lentil and vegetable soup, home made bread, brown and white rice, a korma curry, dahl, potatoe and cauliflower pakoras, pasta in tomato sauce and a few cold salads. While Govinda’s food is plentiful, it’s more comfort food than gourmet. I think it tends toward bland, perhaps because as a hare krishna restaurant it doesn’t use onions, mushrooms, or garlic in its dishes. I enjoyed the drinks better than the food - my mango lassi was thick, sweet and cool, and my soy chai was one of the best that I’ve had in Sydney. For me, the real attraction of Govinda’s is the upstairs movie theatre. This is a cosy room filled with low beds, pillows and couches. It’s kind of like being at a sleepover, only with a decent selection of movies. There are usually two - three movie sessions a day. It’s worth getting in line early so you can bag one of the long beds, rather than the slightly less comfortable couch option. The movie choices are always interesting - a combination of art house and popular mainstream releases that are no longer playing at the major cinema chains. Govinda’s is a great concept and a lot of fun. If vegetarian food is your priority there are tastier and better value choices in Sydney. I also wouldn’t take a non-vegetarian here if your intention is to convert them to the pleasures of vegetarian eating - although the range of food means that there should be something here for everyone. However, I love Govinda’s because it feels like going to your best friend’s house for an easy night in - somewhere you know that you can indulge in hearty food, a relaxed movie and great company to your heart’s content. KP. 25/05/06. |
.thumbnail.jpg "Mushroom pithivier (pie)")
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